Professor Emmanuel Adinyira, Dean of the Faculty of Art and Built Environment at KNUST, has called on women academics in the construction discipline to deepen collaboration with their postgraduate students through joint research and scholarly publications as a strategy for strengthening the future academic workforce.

He made the call during a guest lecture at a webinar organized by Women Academics in Construction (WAiC), a global network that supports women academics in the construction sector, on May 27, 2026.

Speaking on the theme, "Effective Postgraduate Supervision: Sustaining the Academic Pipeline," Prof. Adinyira stressed that postgraduate supervision should extend beyond guiding students through thesis completion to nurturing long-term research partnerships that contribute to academic excellence and career development.

He noted that collaborative scholarship between supervisors and students can improve research quality, increase publication output, and create pathways for emerging researchers to establish themselves in academia.

According to him, building a sustainable pipeline of highly skilled women academics in construction requires deliberate efforts by experienced scholars to mentor, support and collaborate with the next generation of researchers.

Prof. Adinyira encouraged academics to continuously enhance their supervisory skills through mentorship from experienced supervisors, participation in professional development workshops, and formal training in research supervision.

He also underscored the importance of helping students develop robust research designs, connecting them to relevant academic and professional networks, and providing critical guidance throughout the research process.

The Dean further highlighted the need for supervisors to proactively address ethical issues, including research clearance procedures, plagiarism, authorship disputes and conflicts of interest. He urged academics to educate students on research ethics, academic integrity and best practices in scholarly work.

The webinar formed part of WAiC's efforts to promote excellence in postgraduate supervision and support the advancement of women in construction-related academic fields worldwide.